Sailing Eleuthera

We spent way more time than we intended in the Abaco islands, due to reasons already mentioned. But finally, we hatched an exit plan...all the repairs were up to date, and we were ready to go! We took a short sail down to Little Harbour bay right at the southern most point of the Abaco sea, and from there crossed the Northeast Providence channel - 14,000 feet deep part of the Atlantic Ocean - to arrive at the Northern most point of Eleuthera - Spanish Wells.  This was a 60 mile crossing, the weather played nice and we enjoyed 15 knot winds virtually the whole way, and almost 9 knots of speed, which is pretty quick for a sailboat.

One of the reasons we needed to visit Spanish Wells was for mail.  Just as we started this adventure, one of my credit cards was hacked and I had to call the bank to have them send me a new one.  When your home is a floating plastic box it presents some logistical issues with mail - we have a small support team back in South Carolina, namely Judy and Don, who receive and triage our snail mail so I had them send the new card to Spanish Wells post office where you can elect for 'general delivery' and have them hold it until you pitch up with ID in hand.  the card had been sent three or four weeks earlier so we felt sure it had plenty of time to arrive, and we optimistically wandered into the Spanish Wells post office, passport in hand, to pick up the card.  Well after our Fedex escapades in Marsh Harbour, our optimism was high, but expectations low.  And our expectations were duly met.  'We haven't had any mail from Nassau in weeks...', declared the sleepy postmistress 'I think they are going through some administrative changes..'

No shit.

We spent a few minutes chatting with her about world politics and whether the mail might come someday soon (since she had nothing else to do), and left.  I called Wells Fargo and ordered another card.  Maybe we'll have more luck receiving this one in the USVI.

So it was a quick overnighter in Spanish Wells, although it was a pretty little sleepy town and onward to our next port-o-call, the Glass Window.  This was one sightseeing spot we didn't want to miss, having seen some videos online of other sailing couples who visited. It was a short sail of three and a half hours, through Current Cut - so called because of the ripping current that flows through a narrow opening between two large expanses of sea.  We have researched extensively, and always take a conservative approach to our sailing, since things can go pear-shaped very quickly, so we were wary of this one having read the horror stories about boats being carried away, smashed on the rocks and so on.  But as usual, it was a non-event, and none the less a beautiful ride through.  We planned it to pass close to a slack tide where the current would be minimal, and it is narrow, but no real challenge for the driving skills of our Captain Dara.  I just took videos, tidied lines, and generally navigated.

We arrived at the Glass Window shortly after and anchored, all alone, for the night.  We swam and settled in for happy hour, meaning to wake early and explore the Queens Baths and Glass Window on land.  When we woke, we flew the drone over the whole area, since it is spectacular from the air - to see the mighty Atlantic in all its glory raging against the feeble break of Eleuthera as if trying to crash the party of the beautiful serene turquoise waters just on the other side.  It was no less impressive from the land by foot.  Here and there were little blow holes - literally holes through the coral rock right down to caves at sea level where the waves were crashing in and causing air and spray to rush up to greet us.

Back on the boat, we readied ourselves for our next sail, down to the southern tip of Eleuthera, to prepare to cross to the Exumas.  But the wind didn't cooperate today - it was lighter than predicted and from the wrong direction.  We have an app called Predict Wind, which almost all sailors use now, which is supposed to help you plan your sailing based on what the wind will be doing all over the world for the next five days.  So far, it hasn't been a great help - Dara calls it Unpredict Wind, since it is almost always wrong, at least a few days out.  We have been caught out a couple of times so far and will be a little more wary going forward.  In any case, we called it a day mid-sail and ducked into Governers Harbour about half way down.  We didn't go ashore here but spent the evening listening to the reggae party going on along the beach until the wee hours, since it was full moon (in fact it was a blue moon), and having our own party on board.

The next day the wind was good and we proceeded down to Charles bay, a good staging point for our crossing of the Exuma sound to Highborne Cay.

Eleuthera is less populated than the Abacos, but so pretty.  The quaint little towns and villages, and the clear turquoise waters make for relaxing cruising and a real feeling that one is starting to live 'off the grid'.  This part of the Bahamas was originally populated in 1648 by puritan exiles from Bermuda, and also many came after from the Carolinas.  I know even today there are some old Charleston families that have houses there, so we felt at least a little at home.

The Glass Window by drone

Our last meal in the Abacos before departing for Eleuthera. 

Spanish Wells

Another photo of booze.....

That Glass Window

That Glass Window again...